Amara thought she had left her past behind — the long nights, the empty promises, and the man who once swore he'd love her forever.
But the past has a way of finding you… especially when your heart begins to heal.
She was closing up the kiosk one evening when a sleek black car pulled up across the street. A man stepped out, tall and confident, with eyes that once made her believe in fairy tales.
Kola.
Her ex.
He hadn't changed much. The same expensive perfume. The same crooked smile. But now, instead of excitement, Amara felt her stomach twist.
"Still making magic with your hands, I see," Kola said, motioning toward her akara.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, folding her arms.
"I'm here on business… and maybe a little unfinished business too."
She didn't answer. Just stared.
"I made a mistake leaving you, Amara. And I want to fix that."
Before she could reply, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned — Dimeji stood there, eyes locked on Kola, face unreadable.
"Oh," Kola smirked. "You must be the replacement."
"No," Dimeji said calmly. "I'm the future."
Amara's breath caught. Kola laughed, but there was a flash of jealousy in his eyes. "We'll see."
Kola got into his car and drove off, but not before glancing at Amara one last time — a look that said this isn't over.
Dimeji didn't speak right away. He just stood beside her, watching the road as if waiting for something else to come.
"I didn't know he was back," she said finally.
"Do you still feel anything for him?" he asked, not accusing — but scared. Honest.
Amara looked up at him, her voice steady. "I used to wait in the rain for him. He never came. But you… you didn't just come. You stayed."
He smiled, but his eyes remained wary.
Because the heart remembers…
And sometimes, rivals don't just compete for love — they fight to reclaim what they think they own.